Simple Activities for Preschoolers - Week 2

Bringing you another week of simple activities to keep your preschooler enjoying some hands on learning.

A few tips...

You will see these activities appear on my Instagram feed, @findthelittlemind, over the coming week. My advice is to simply pick and choose which ones you think will suit your kiddo best. Did they do an activity last week which they loved? Why not do it again this week? You can always switch out the theme or a material to make it fresh. Did you set something up and they showed no interest at all? Try not to be disheartened, sometimes it just isn't the right time. Pack it up and put it away until the next morning for a fresh start. Always remember to be present as much a possible during the activities. Preschoolers aren't quite at that stage of independence yet and I guarantee it will be much more successful if you join in and share the play.

1. Brown Bag Shape Sort

What you need: brown lunch bags (or Ziploc bags or even containers), black marker, selection of toy room items.

How to set up: draw three different shapes on the brown lunch bags and write their names. Gather some toys / items from the toy room which match these shapes and display them on the table.

How it works: ask your child to name the shapes on the brown bags. Challenge them to sort the toys / items into the correct bag, naming the shape each time. To extend the play ask them to go and hunt for more items to add to the bags.

For younger kids: just choose two simple shapes for comparison such as square and circle. Or for even younger kids choose one shape and fill the bag with a few items for them to explore. Repeat the shape name each time they hold an item.

For older kids: use more complex shapes such as diamonds and hexagons. You could also get them to tally how many of each shape they add to the bags, or alternative use scales to weigh the bags as a numeracy link.

2. Toy Lines

What you need: tape (we used painter's tape), a selection of toys or loose parts.

How to set up: create lines of tape on the table which are different lengths. Provide a fun selection of loose parts in a container / basket.

How it works: challenge your little one to create organized lines of toys, using the tape a as a guide. Toddlers especially love to organize and sort, so this activity is perfect for them and it is great for their fine motor skills. Be sure to use the opportunity to discuss shapes, colors and size as you play.

For younger kids: just make one line with tape for them to place their toys on. Hot Wheels cars are perfect for this with younger kids.

For older kids: ask them to count how many of each toy they placed on the lines, and then add up the total number of toys. You can also introduce a ruler or tape measure for an added Math element.

3. Tinker Tray

What you need: a fun selection of building materials - we used mini cups, craft sticks, people counters and pom poms.

How to set up: simply present the materials in a tray or container in an organized way.

How it works: the idea of a tinker tray is to simply invite kids to explore open-ended materials in their own way. For preschoolers you want to keep the materials simple and not too 'fiddly'. Cups and craft sticks are perfect for exploring balance and structural stability. I like to also include some form of figures such as people, animals or vehicles as this expands the imaginative play which follows.

For younger kids: keep the tray materials really simple. For example just put some large cups in a container and see if your little one can stack the cups. Then add in a few craft sticks and work together to try and balance a craft stick on a cup.

For older kids: provide them with a more diverse range of materials and make a few simple challenge cards. For example, can you build a bridge from the materials which will hold the weight of an apple? Can you use every single material in the tray to build a castle?

4. Building Brick Prints

What you need: paints, building bricks (we used DUPLOs, it's fun to provide a selection of sizes) and white card or paper.

How to set up: lay out matching colored bricks to the paint you are providing. It's always a good idea to have some sort of mat or tray for an activity like this.

How it works: let your preschooler explore using the building bricks as painting stampers. They can experiment with using both sides of the bricks, commenting on the different shapes made. This is also a great opportunity for color matching.

For younger kids: don't be afraid to use even bigger building bricks such as MegaBloks to make the markings with. You can also limit the number of colors provided.

For older kids: challenge them to create a picture of some form with their building brick stamps. You can even introduce the concept of symmetry. DUPLO and LEGO prints make for awesome firework markings on paper.

5. Popsicle Stick Poke

What you need: a brown lunch bag (or you could use a cardboard box), a sharp knife, markers, and colored craft sticks.

How to set up: draw colored lines on the brown paper bag and then use a craft knife to make a small slit in the middle of the colored line. Put the craft sticks on a plate or in a bowl.

How it works: encourage your preschooler to poke the craft sticks through the correct colored slit in the brown bag. My 3 year old loved seeing each stick disappear into the bag. This was great for her fine motor skills and it also challenged her problem solving skills. It can be a bit fiddly to get the sticks through the slits to begin with so she came up with the idea to poke her finger through the slits to 'open' them up.It worked a treat.

For younger kids: this activity can be simplified by cutting a single slit in a Pringle-style container. When my toddler was one years old she loved poking craft sticks though a single slit and then shaking the container to make a noise.

For older kids: ask them to count how many craft sticks of each color they push into the bag. They can even write the number on the bag and try to add up the total.

I hope these activities provide your littles with some fun play based learning over the coming week.